Newsletter Winter 2017

As we leave behind the old year and welcome the New Year, may I take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and to announce the birth of my second grandson to my daughter Dr. Win Thu Han and my son-in-law Shannon Lo Ricco. In fact,  little Yeza-Han Giovanni Lo Ricco ushered in the New Year for our community because he was born on Jan 1, 2017!!

The year 2016 gave us the opportunity to renew the Center in many crucial aspects, including reviving the teaching programs and repairing the physical premises.  I began teaching a new class, while training Melissa Titone, one of my most senior students, as a teacher trainee.  We intended to resume classes in January, but had to postpone the classes due to the storms that month and continuing this month.  I taught the Senior class on practicing mindfulness or investigating into Self and No-Self during the past year. It has been so good to dive into teaching and training again.

New Board of Directors

At the end of 2016, we recruited some new Board Members from among our old and new students. They’ve become a very active Board to my great delight.

The new lineup is:
Dr. Thynn…..President
Carol Benfell….Secretary
Joel Hack….Treasurer
Kevin Klotz….Member
Daniel Berkman…Member
Tonie Quigley…Liaison to students
Dr. Tin Aung….Member
U Zaw Min…..Member
Dr. Tin-wa…Advisor
Adam Titone…Advisor

Repairs and Other Work

Our Center is in its 18th year, and we have encountered many utility system break downs from wear and tear — the well pump, sewer pump, and boiler system just to name a few.

We are now in the midst of repairing the foundation of the Dhamma house with the help of senior students master builder Mark McLauliff and Jim Morris. Jim is a geotechnical engineer who drove down from Nevada City to give us ideas on how to channel rain water away from the house. We have completed the first phase, and the concrete work in front of the Dhamma House is first rate in terms of creative and functional design. We have been extremely pleased with the results. We still have more to do.

I have plans to construct a replica of the Shwedagon Cedi at the Center. The replica will be dedicated to peace and security in America, especially during these very uncertain times. I hope to form a Cedi Construction Committee (Gopaka) soon.

With extensive and costly repairs going on, we are very fortunate one of our senior students has given a personal loan to the Center that has enabled us to keep the Center running.  The loan is for five years, and we need to pay it back during that period. The Board of Directors and myself would like to appeal to your generosity to support us financially in terms of pledges, a one-time donation or as a beneficiary of your estate.

We would like to thank all of you, our donors, for your continuous support that has kept the Center going for the past 18 years, through which hundreds of local American students have benefited. Whenever I meet my old students, almost everyone tells me they cannot stop practicing daily life mindfulness now.

For the Center to continue bringing the Dhamma to Westerners, we will continue to need your support, large or small, on a regular basis.

Outreach Programs

The Board of Directors is very interested in initiating outreach programs, such as the day-long intensive mindfulness meditation program. This is real life practice mindfulness 101….and will help students develop equanimity (Upekkha) so that their outlook on the current situation may bring wisdom and right view as taught by the Buddha in terms of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Other outreach programs will include giving Dhamma talks to spiritual communities and publication of my second Dhamma book, among other things.

We do hope students who have studied at the Center will be enthusiastic, and participate and support our outreach activities.

I am also preparing to print my Burmese Dhamma book to distribute to the Burmese community in the Bay Area as well as nationwide and beyond.

May the teachings of the Buddha thrive and benefit the world over,

Dr Thynn Thynn on behalf of the Board of Directors
Sae Taw Win II Dhamma Center
8769 Bower St.,
Sebastopol CA 95472

For your convenience, PayPal is available on our website for donations — www.saetawwin2.org.